The Admiral's House
4 Lower Ollach
Braes
Isle of Skye
IV51 9LJ
The Admiral’s House benefits from a remote village location, with three unique studios and lockable bedrooms, and a shared living room/dining space. Residents can potentially meet and connect with fellow artists that are also staying on-site at the same time.
24 hour Access
Wi-Fi Included
Superfast Broadband
Utilities Included
The site is surrounded by stunning land and sea views. The closest town of Portree is a 15-minute drive away.
We invite applications from artists of all disciplines and stages in their career. Collectives as well as individuals are accepted as residents.
Ollach House was very kindly donated to Wasps by Vice Admiral Sir Roderick Macdonald KBE. The Admiral spent much of his life serving in the Royal Navy, with periods of time spent abroad working, before retiring to live on Skye to take up painting.
While adapting and modernising the building to bring it up to a suitable standard, we have retained and restored the individual character of the place to reflect the time spent there by the Admiral.
This studio is a recent addition to the site and boasts incredible views across the Straits of Raasay. A timber structure, the studio is completely white with good interior lighting and large picture window. The space itself is around 161 sqft and has a desk, chair, easel and some shelves. This studio would lend itself to creative people such as painters, clean practices such as writers or those working on a smaller-scale, that are seeking a more quiet and contemplative experience to develop new work.
The former Admiral’s original painting studio is a purpose built, wooden panelled studio with plenty of natural light. It is a large space of approx. 307 sqft with a timber coloured interior and flooring, windows across the entirety of the right hand wall, sky lights and strip lighting. It contains two desks that belonged to the Admiral, a long work bench and easel. Although directly in front of the house, there are three steps leading to the entrance so visitors with disabilities may require some assistance.
This converted garage is a large, airy space, with good lighting and whitewashed walls. It includes a work bench and two tables, chair and easel. The washout area, including Belfast sink, is attached to the back of the studio. The space is around 266 sqft with good heating and a timber workbench which can be moved around the space. This space would be ideal for messier practices such as sculpture or ceramics. The large garage doors can also be left open in summer months to maximise light and working space. This studio sits next to the house and is probably the most accessible workspace on the site.
To join the waiting list and find out about spaces when they become available, please email lettings@waspsstudios.org.uk or submit an enquiry below.
The Booth
New Street
Scalloway
Shetland
ZE1 0TQ
The Booth was constructed by Scalloway Waterfront Trust in 2001 on the site of a fisherman’s store, which was the oldest building in the town. Now converted into a live-work space for visiting artists, The Booth is managed by Wasps in partnership with Shetland Arts Trust.
24 hour Access
Wi-Fi Included
Superfast Broadband
Utilities Included
The Booth consists of a combined ‘clean’ working area and living space which is located on the upper level and a stone-walled basement for more ‘dirty’ work. The living accommodation has a fully fitted kitchen, washing machine/tumble dryer and a bathroom with a fully accessible shower. There is a bed space located above the kitchen/bathroom, the sofa also opens up into a double bed and towels and bedlinen are provided.
Bookings for The Booth run for one month or two weeks at a time. Artists looking to stay at The Booth can contact the team via email on residencies@waspsstudios.org.uk to ask about availability for 2026/2027.
The Shetland Islands are the most northerly part of the United Kingdom and are located 150 miles north of the Scottish mainland. They are made up of 15 islands which are home to 24,000 people. The islands have an ancient history, stunning landscape, close links with Scandinavia and a unique culture with a long tradition of music and craftmaking.
Scalloway is the ancient capital of Shetland and is located on the west side of the Shetland mainland. It is a picturesque village, home to just over a thousand people with a large pier which is used by fishing boats and other vessels.
To join the waiting list and find out about spaces when they become available, please email lettings@waspsstudios.org.uk or submit an enquiry below.
